A Report based on Visit to Areas in MP Affected by December 25-26, 2019 Shabnam Hashmi, Social Acvist, Founding Trustee, Anhad, New Delhi

Purpose of Visit : To assess the condion of rehabilitaon of Project Affected Families of Sardar Sarovar Project in all the affected villages of

A brief background l The disputes between , Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh on the issues of water-sharing, construcon of dam, Relief & Rehabilitaon provisions were resolved by the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal Award (NWDTA) dt. 12.12.1979 l Sub-clause (IV) of clause XI of the NWDTA relates to the provision of R&R which is required to be provided to the Project Affected Families (PAFs) of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP). (hp://sardarsarovardam.org/document/pagecontent/NWDT-Awards.pdf) l In addion to the provisions menoned above, various State R & R Policies provide for rehabilitaon benefits to be extended to the Project Affected Families, in addion to what has been provided in NWDTA. The Policy also extends the R & R benefits to Project Affected Families, which were not considered for R & R under NWDTA i.e. adivasis, labourers, fish workers, shop keepers, poers, boats man etc. l The provisions of NWDTA and R&R were considered by Supreme Court. The Supreme Court held that R&R is part of Arcle 21 of the Constuon and that in case R&R takes place, it should be on “beer off” principle. The irrigable lands and house sites were required to be made available to PAFs one year in advance of the submergence and requisite amenies were also to be provided. The noces for vacaon of the lands were to be given aer compleon of the R&R of PAFs and atleast 6 months before actual submergence. Raising of the dam which would cause submergence was not to be permied unless rehabilitaon programme is carried out. l The order dated 08.02.2017 passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court required rehabilitaon to be completed on or before 31.07.2017.

Promised Compulsory Rehabilitaon v Sub-clause 1(3) of Clause XI of NWDTA : "Family" (i) A family shall include husband, wife and minor children and other persons dependent on the head of the family, e.g., widowed mother. (ii) Every major son will be treated as a separate family. v Sub-clause 10 IV(3) of Clause XI of NWDTA - Every oustee family shall be entled to and alloed a house site i.e. a plot of land measuring 18.29 x 27.43m. (60' x 90') free of cost. v Sub- clause IV(7) of Clause XI of NWDTA : Allotment of Agricultural Lands : Every displaced family from whom more than 25% of its land holding is acquired shall be entled to and be alloed irrigable land to the extent of land acquired from it subject to the prescribed ceiling in the state concerned and a minimum of 2 hectares (5 acres) per family, the irrigaon facilies being provided by the State in whose territory the alloed land is situated : This land shall be transferred to the oustee family if it agrees to take it. v (c) Civic amenies 1. One primary school (3 rooms) for 100 families. 2. One Panchayat Ghar for every 500 families. 3. One Dispensary for every 500 families. 4. One seed store for every 500 families. 5. One Children's park for every 500 families. 6. One village pond for every 500 families. 7. Drinking water well with trough for every 50 families. 8. Each colony should be linked to main road by roads of appropriate standard. 9. One plaorm for every 50 families. 10. Every oustee family shall be entled to and alloed a house site i.e. a plot of land measuring 18.29 x 27.43m. (60' x 90') free of cost. In addion, a provision of 30% addional area for roads, Government buildings, open space etc. shall be made by Gujarat under civic amenies.

Rehabilitaon Policy for SSP Oustees in M.P The rehabilitaon policy for Narmada oustees in M.P, which provided benefits over and above the award to various categories of oustees was introduced in 1987 and through periodical amendments was finalized in the year 2003. The basic objecves and highlights of the R&R policy are; D. The rehabilitaon policy be so implemented that middlemen and profiteers would get eliminated. e. Landless agricultural labourers and non – agriculturist families would be assisted in rehabilitaon at the new places by giving grant–in–aid in the inial period and self and wage employment opportunies . Rehabilitaon Policy for the Oustees of Narmada Projects , Government of Madhya Pradesh (September 1989) (This policy will also be applicable for the oustees of the Sardar Sarover project to be reseled in Madhya Pradesh) One – Broad Principles for rehabilitaon of Displaced families: 2. It would be ensured that no hardship is caused to the displaced families in moving out of the present habitat into a new place and living. 8. Where affected families lived together as a social unit, the same will be maintained as for as possible in the new place of relocaon, and the displaced persons of relocaon, and the displaced persons will be reseled as per their preferences in the command or around the submergence area. 10 . While reseling families entled for allotment of land, it would be ensured that viable units of land are given. 12. The rehabilitaon policy be so implemented that middlemen and profiteers would get eliminated. Two – Rehabilitaon Policy for the Oustees of Narmada Projects , Government of Madhya Pradesh Displaced Family 1. A family composed of displaced persons as defined above shall include husband, wife and minor children and other persons dependent on the head of the family, eg. Widowed mother, widowed sister unmarried daughter or old father. 2. Every son/un-married daughter who has become major on or before the date of noficaon under secon 4 of the Land Acquision Act, will be treated as a separate family. (2.2) The price of the land in the submergence area has been depressed for the last several years. For calculang the compensaon for agriculture and rural abadi land to be acquired for the project, the price of similar land in the adjacent command areas will be taken as the basis . For assessing the value of urban abadi and other lands, the average sale prices in the nearest town of similar size outside the submergence area will form the basis calculaon of compensaon. (2.3) If 75 percent or more land of a conguous holding of any person is required to be compulsorily acquired, such person shall have the right to seek such acquision of the enre conguous holding . In other cases , such as enclaves surrounded by water, hamlet rendered as nonviable social unit, disjoined holding , non- submerged land of less than 2 enre holding would be taken aer examinaon on a case by basis by the Narmada Valley Development Authority. (2.5) Displaced families would be allowed to take away the building material that could be salvaged at the old sites to the new relocaon sites. There would be no reducon in the compensaon amount due to this. Transit passes would be issued by competent forest officials for carrying away wooden ballies, frames and all such arcles which require permits. 7.0 Allotment of Plots in Rural Areas 7.1 For rural displaced families, abadi plot of 502 sq m size (i.e 5,400 sq -90'x60') would be alloed to each family in rural areas free of cost. 8.0 Rehabilitaon Policy for Urban Oustees (8.11) Commercial plots/ shop Commercial shops and business centres shall be made available at the relocaon sites in accordance with the local needs and ulity. The demands of the exisng shopkeepers shall be fulfilled on priority. Non- oustees families shall also be entled to purchase commercial plots in the open aucon .If the cost of the new commercial plot be more than the compensaon paid to the oustees he shall be allowed subsidy equal to the amount of difference. The amount of difference shall be paid by the project. e. A Fisheries and Training Instute will be set up in the periphery of the reservoir in order to impart training to fishermen and fisherwomen from the affected areas. 11.4 Places of religious and archaeological importance would be reconstructed outside the submergence area. The current status of R & R as admied by the State of Madhya Pradesh before the Supreme Court is as follows: S.N. Status Balance PAFs I. Out of 760 PAFs considered eligible for Rs. 60 Lakh, as per the order dated 08.02.2017 passed by this Hon'ble Court, 725 PAF's have received the said compensaon. 35 II. Out of 1357 PAF's found duped in the process of disbursement of SRP by Jusce S. S. Jha Commission, only 1201 PAF's have so far received rS, 15 Lakh as per the direcons of this Hon'ble Court in the order dated 08.02.2017 156 III. Out of 1349 PAF's subsequently found eligible for Rs. 15 Lakh as per liberalised policy 729 PAF's have received the said compensaon. 620 IV. Out of 1852 PAFs who were not entled to R & R Package as less than 25 % of their land holdings were acquired, but, were to be compensated for their acquired land, 1321 PAF's have received the compensaon. 531 V. Out of 494 PAFs whose land were acquired for R & R Sites and were granted Rs. 15 Lakh, 307 PAF's have received the same. 187 VI. There were about 7114 families, who did not have pucca house outside submergence area, they were eligible for Rs. 5.8 Lakh per family. It is stated that so far Rs. 288 Cr. is disbursed on the said account, which makes out that about 5000 families have been given the said relief. 2114 VII. Cases pending at various stages for grant of compensaon as per order dated 08.02.2017 (leer dt. 27.05.2019 by the Chief Secretary). 2952 VIII. Civic amenies provided by NWDTA at reselement sites (88 in Madhya Pradesh) included: primary school, Panchayat ghar, dispensary, seed store, Children's park, village pond, drinking water tree plaorms, approach road linking each colony to the main road, electrificaon, water supply, sanitary element etc sll not complete in most of the sites. GRA, by order dated 28.11.2017 I Case No. 1068/2017 directed the compleon of civic amenies by May, 2018. This has sll not been complied with. IX. Applicaons pending before the GRA as per leer dated 27.05.2019 of the Chief Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh 8500 The above acceptance by the present government itself speaks a lot against 'Zero balance' reported on oath before the Apex Court, by the previous government. Even then the numbers esmated by NBA acvists on the ground are much higher than those accepted by the govt. Condions on the Ground as witnessed during my visit Dec 25-26,2019 I must admit that I have not worked on the N armada issue and aer my visit I have gone through a large number of papers and taken out provisions for rehabilitaon from various policy papers above which I saw violated or not implemented on the ground. In a short span of less than 48 hours I met thousands of people, men women, children- displaced, deprived of their land, homes, and livelihoods but not dejected. It was amazing to see and meet NBA teams in acon in every village, selement and displaced colonies with the will to carry on the struggle for dignity. What I saw and heard le a deep impact on me and for the first me I discovered the magic of Medha Patkar and hundreds of her fellow travelers. I am wring my experience of one village and general observaons from the overall visit. Chikhalda – A village –home to the first Asian farmer -Submerged I visited many places but Chikhalda- is a striking example of how those in power, and to whose whims and fancies the administraon works, are totally oblivious of the destrucon that they cause, not only in physical terms to the inhabitants but to their cultural and social roots. The long term repercussions of dislocang people and making them refugees in their own land are disastrous and history will not forgive various governments responsible for these manmade disasters. According to archeological research Chikhalda was home to Asia's first farmer. Land being highly ferle, far.alit families. There were 36 religious places in Chikhalda, some of them of 10th or 12th century –

Neelkantheshwar, Narasimha, Shri Ram temples. There were Masjid-e-Pir Dargah and Jamat Khana, also a Jain temple. The village had primary and secondary schools . The village supplied milk to nearby villages. Poor Bhil Adivasis and Dalits earned a living working on the fields of culvators. I visited the village on December 26th. It looked like a ghost town, with hundreds of crumbled homes, empty streets and rong smell. There was total devastaon. Water had sll not receded completely. I saw a large number of houses which had totally collapsed. I spoke to the local residents. Waheed Mansoori narrated the whole incident. He said the schedule for filling the water which was agreed upon was fill the damn to the full capacity of 138. 68 by October 2019 but before September 17, coinciding with the PM's birthday, on September 15-16 the water was filled to full level. The people were terrified, having small children, when the water started entering, especially in the houses on the lower side, there was no way even to come out and escape. It was also raining heavily. It was like NRC was being implemented. We were not leaving our homes but it was like leaving our country, our tradions, our culture, the inter-woven relaonships, our Muslim-Hindu unity everything was being taken away. This village saw no riots, not even in 1947. According to archeological survey the first Asian farmer was born here. Leaving all this behind the villagers are very disturbed and broken. The government doesn't see all this. To fill water like this, if the PM has his birthday on September 17th, for praising him, the schedule was preponed by a month. Large number of villages have submerged, livestock has died and environment has suffered in the Narmada valley. People couldn't take out anything from their homes, not even food items; they did not get me to do that. They could just grab their children, documents, and one set of clothes which they were wearing, livestock and waded out of the threatening water that steadily seeped into their homes. Its highly condemnable. In the name of development they are doing destrucon. They have spent 63,000crores on the damn but ll now the rehabilitaon has not been done. The agreed upon amount of 5.80 lakhs has not be given to all the displaced. There are many people who have got the money but not the plot and there are those who have got the plot but no money. There were 800 houses. There are sll 250-300 cases pending. They have put some of them in eligible- non eligible slots. In many cases adult children have not got compensaon. When a policy has been made then it should be adhered to. People are sing in Tin sheds with their papers, waing for their turn to get rehabilitaon package so that they can leave from the n sheds. They are not celebrang their. They are suffering; their children's educaon is suffering. Another resident who had come to the village Kalu said while his father got compensaon, he was living separately but he hasn't received it. He said he had submied the papers, his name had come but he was made not- eligible later. Mukeshbhai, who has been acve in NBA for many years, and had taken me to the village narrated the challenges ' According to the old survey of people who were declared eligible for rehabilitaon, many of them aer the 2008 survey were made not eligible. They said we have changed the model of the dam and as a result the 'back water level's were reduced so 15946 families were removed from the submergence. There was no survey here of the rivers and nallahas, 7000 hectare land became islands, the roads to the land have vanished, because of the water in rivers and nallas farmers are unable to access those lands, they couldn't harvest their crops from such places. The areas which were declared out of submergence area, when the water was filled to 138.68 meter, many places which were not included in the submergence area got submerged. It's a big tragedy for farmers and laborers. Aer the farm land got submerged along with farmers the condions of laborers is pathec, as their livelihood was totally dependent on working on other people's farms. A large number of laborers had to migrate to other states. As far as farmers are concerned, according to the tribunal's decision, those whose 25% land was coming in submergence and they are eligible, they were to get 5 acre land or according to Feb 8, 2017 ,Supreme Court judgment, in lieu of 2 hectare land they were to be given 60 lakh rupees. There are thousands of farmers who have not got this package, despite the fact that their lands have been submerged. We had a big agitaon here in Chikhalda on 27 July 2017 and due to our agitaon the MP Govt had to announce on 29 July 2017 that every displaced person who is eligible and has been alloed a plot of land would be given 5.80 lakh rupees to build their houses at the rehabilitaon areas. But over 15000 people ll today have not got the package. We have struggled, we have achieved a lot but the struggle is on and a lot has to be achieved. “ While we were sll in the village, we saw a few people come in to the village to retrieve some household goods if they were in any condion to be retrieved. The village looked like a ghost town, there were two families who were taking the bricks from their old homes to rebuild their houses elsewhere. Gram Chikhalda panchayat ke secretary Golu Sen called Waheed Mansoori, administraon wants to remove the statue and take it outside. Waheed said no don't touch the statue , we will first talk to our people to Medha Patkar before we take a decision , consultaons were done quickly and Medha Patkar said even if the village submerges we will not let Mahatma Gandhi's statue submerge, it will remain established that while they can submerge the village, they cannot submerge Gandhi's thought and his statue. The statue is very heavy, it weighs 2 quintals, it is made of marble and was donated to the village by Raka Charitable trust from Rajasthan on 31st July 2017. The structure was made with the help of NBA members and the statue was raised on the new structure while the village had already submerged. Medha Patkar planned with other members of the NBA, and a farmers' team placed the Gandhi statue sing in a boat and they sang Gandhiji's favorite bhajans. Rahul bhai from NBA who also reached the village by the me we were discussing the Mahatma Gandhi's statue raised quesons about the rehabilitaon of the religious spaces. He said there are about 40 religious spaces including mosques, Dargah, Ram mandir, Narsinh Mandir, Mahadev ling etc. which is 400year old. There is Tribunal Award direcng the governments to rebuild the religious places and structures. Govt shows that rehabilitaon has been done, they are yet to rebuild some of the 40 religious place? The way govt is doing polics in the name of Ram, on the other hand in 178 villages thousands of temples have been submerged, why no govt talks about that. There is so much noise about the Ayodhya temple but they are not bothered about thousands of historical temples some of 10th century, being submerged. Rahul bhai told us that we lived together as Hindus and Muslims and celebrated our fesvals but aer the submergence, the villagers have been sent to 5 different locaons, dividing communies. According to the latest informaon available 1. Chikhalda had 1086 eligible people i.e. families, while 500 of them and 100 new adults have got 5.80 lakh rupees 2. Approx 150 families from Chikhalda are living in Tin sheds in different places, they are sll to get 5.80 lakh rupees & some haven't even received plots for construcon of houses. 3. 300 families are living in rented houses, they are yet to receive 5.80 lakh rupees. 4. There are approx 26 shopkeeprs from Chikhalda who have not got land so far to rebuild their shops. 5. Farmers , approx 100, whose farming lands have turned into islands and their harvest has been destroyed , they have not got compensaon so far. 6. Dhangar community from Chikhalda has not been provided fodder for livestock and the grazing lands have also not provided. 7. Narmada pipelines are closed. Electric instruments have been submerged, new connecons have not been provided, it is not possible to sow anything as yet. 8. Fisherfolk have not been provided rights to fishing beyond their submerged village area. Fisherfolk are were unable to earn a livelihood since years due to fluctuang water level. They are struggling to get paas to the reservoir fisheries with an agreement with the proposed federaon for 10 years. This is demanded on ten years lease, as was done in Bergi dam in Narmada Valley. 9. Women and adults who were to be given 2 hectare land. 10 displaced are sll to get land or 60 lakh rupees. 10. In the displaced colonies basic amenies have not been provided. No street lights, water, electricity, drainage , internal roads. Nisarpur We reached Nisarpur late evening. Nisarpur was one of the richest and biggest villages of district with about 3000 families residing, with 400 shops & hundred hawkers, Serving as a market for atleast 30 villages. There were 46 religious places in the villages. Best of agriculture & horculture was supported by godowns & some houses on the higher side were taken out of submergence level, so while the village has become a total ghost town on the lower side, when you move towards lane which are on higher level, some homes are sll there and about 300 families are living there. These are yet to get one or more Rehabilitaon benefits. There are hundreds of applicaons from Nisarpur itself, pending with the Narmada Valley Development Authority or the Grievance Redressal Authority. An urgent selement of issues is needed atleast in the case of the 200 families compelled to stay in the n sheds, aer having their houses submerged, and no plot or grant received, ll date. When we went there most of the lanes were sll muddy and it was quite difficult not to slip on them. About 25 people had gathered to meet us. Women some of whom had fasted for 17 days in 2017, reported about snakes, rats coming into the lanes & houses which people have le from. I think more than any words the photographs will covey the reality of Nisarpur.

A large number of houses have collapsed. The rong stench is unbearable. People whose homes have been declared to be 'out of submergence' are living in the middle of these crumbled houses and stench. Majority of the people having moved out, how do you sustain life? A village is not merely houses, it has a whole survival system, with shops, livestock, neighbors, relaonships, celebrang fesvals together. Lower parts get filled up with water. How does one expect people living on the higher plane access roads when the lower poron and lanes are filled with water? No doubt, a big reselement site is reserved & hundreds of houses, small & big, have come up at the site has many amenies, including a hospital schools – government & private – yet there are a number of complaints eg. there is no lady doctor in the hospital. Drains for prevenon of waterlogging not completed. These need to be urgently looked into. In the only town strip affected by Sardar Sarovar, I was told by many families that though they have declared out of submergence, their properes and lands have been acquired and not returned to them. Those remain in the name of the Execuve Engineer of NVDA Madhya Pradesh. Their number is above 1380. In Dharampuri 88 houses sheltering 211 families, Sheetla Mata temple, 4 religious places, 2 mosques were considered to come under submergence, but even they have not been fully rehabilitated. The R & R site where some are alloed house plots, is also under submergence. In many places the ground has sunken. The plots of fishermen of Dharampuri have also been given on the banks of Khuj river, which are submerged in the flood of Khuj river, they also have to be replaced with hundreds of new land plots, so far only 32 plots have been changed. When there is flood in Narmada, then there will be water in Dharampuri city.

Visit to Pichhodi I will remember this visit & the village by the long green chilies that I carried back from the village. I don't eat chilies but they looked so beauful and inving that I couldn't resist asking for a few to carry with me. In Pichhodi during 2019 submergence 55 houses were submerged, all of them have got 5.80 lakhs but 17 families have not got the plots so far. Earlier claims are from 845 families, out of whom 525 families have sll not got the plots. 17 families which are eligible to get 60 lakh rupees have sll not got it. 14 families eligible for 15 lakhs have not got it. 29 families are in Tin sheds, they have got the first installment of 2.80 lakhs. 75 acre land belonging to 19 families has been marooned. 90 hectare grazing land has been submerged. At the R & R site 62 plots have been given, basic facilies are not there. 710 families are sll in the village. I visited: area and river bank following in (Ghazipura & Sala villages, Tehsil Dharampuri, dist Dhar), Tehsil Dharampuri, Dist Dhar. Ekalbara, tehsil , Dist Dhar (where I met, heard & discussed issues with displaced from villages - semalda, gangli, kavthi), Chikhalda ( tehsil , dist Dhar). I also paid visit to submerged village and held discussion, with families from Khaparkheda, tehsil Kukshi, Dist Dhar. Visit to village and discussion, at Narmada Nagar, Ganpur reselement colony, led to my meeng with the displaced from Chikhalda and Bodhwada, Visit to Nisarpur tehsil Kukshi, dist Dhar and held discussion with local villagers who are sll in the village. At Badwani, NBA office, interacon with acvists and student interns, took place. There was a meeng in Pichodi village with displaced from Villages Nandgaon, Pendra, Saundul, Avalda, Jangarava, Bijasan, I visited in Badwani- Panaka n Shade which is a displaced colony, and village Chota barda where I met those displaced from Piplood, Bagud, Dhanora, Segava, Pipri, Chota Barda. I also met villagers, farmers from Lassan village and Balwada and Century mill workers who have been on strike for over an year. In June 2019 the gates of the Sardar Sarovar dam were closed by the Gujarat Govt to fill the reservoir to its full height of 138.68 metres which, according to their own claim, was 'to test its capacity'. Prime Minister Modi was invited by the Gujarat Govt to celebrate his birthday on September 17 at the dam's reservoir, when it would be full for the first me, floung the agreed upon schedule and speed at which it had to be filled. While the Prime Minister offered flowers at the dam site to live telecast, uncovered by screeching anchors hundreds of poor men and women waded through water, leaving their villages, lands, shops, geng cut off from their cultural and social roots forever, holding on to their children, their cale and bundles of small belongings they could gather to escape the invading waters. According to Narmada Control Authority (NCA), the central body which is in charge of monitoring rehabilitaon, everyone in 230 affected villages has been rehabilitated. This was reported in their annual reports, year aer year, since 2008 atleast and also in the affidavits submied before the Supreme Court of . The reality on the ground is far from what is claimed. The apathy towards the condion of the most marginalized and poor residents of our country were most visible on September 17, 2019.

Prominent Issues The Intriguing Story of back water Level Since June 2008 NCA arbitrarily reduced the extent of submergence area and the number fo affected persons by revising the backwater levels of Sardar Sarovar Project. 15746 families living in various villages of Badwani, Dhar, districts and township of Dharampuri were declared out of submergence. In 1984 all these families were considered as oustees. Thousands of families are due to this changed backwater level status are not rehabilitated and also uninformed about their status of submergence.. the lands and properes of these families are already acquired, many have moved to the R & R sites yet R & R is not complete and those who remain without R & R constute most marginalized – widows, landless, fisher people, poers, Dalits, tribals etc. On 23 December 2019, two days before I visited the place, backwater level was checked in village gajipura, khalkhurd, Khalbujurg in Dharampuri tehsil, dist Dhar. Old backwater level here was 150.36 metres. In accordance with this from 1546 affected families their lands and properes were acquired. Aer 2008 this level was reduced by 5 metres and in accordance near the temple near Sanjay bridge a stone was placed with the level wrien as 144.92 metres . According to this level 29 families were considered affected. According to the decision of the MP administraon 5.80 lakh rupees were sanconed to them. Only half the people have got the first installment so far. Till September 5, 2019 the level on this stone near the temple was 144.92 metres but suddenly on September 6, 2019 officers of Narmada Valley Development Authority from Dharampuri and Manawar changed it from 144.92 to 146.92 metres. A change of two metres have serious repercussions. It is a big queson before Narmada Valley Development Authority, why this difference of 2 metres has been created? How many more families will be affected due to this? Submergence of Farmlands and Crop Loss The arbitrary decision, to fill the reservoir to full reservoir capacity a month before the actual date and at a much faster speed than what is allowed, had disastrous repercussions. Parts of 178 villages were submerged parally and some got totally submerged. Most of these villages were farming villages with rich black soil where coon, banana, maize, sugarcane, wheat was culvated. Many farmlands got cut off as the roads to them were submerged. Transporng back the harvest to Mandis to sell, from places which were not submerged but got cut off due to submergence of roads leading to them, became impossible and as a result farmers suffered huge losses. In many villages and in a Tin sheds I met farmers who had to walk as far as 30 kms who were earlier walking a kilometer or two to reach their farms. . Major reason for crop destrucon was paral or total submergence and marooning of the farmlands leading to inability to harvest and sow the new crop. I met villagers from Balwada and Lassan village. I was told that lands which were out of submergence area also got submerged when the water level was increased to 138.86 meters in September 2019. Lassan village land was not in submergence area and from Balwada only a small poron was acquired in the submergence area. But due to submergence in September 2019, 100% land of most of the farmers was submerged, large parts have become water logged. Farmers lost their standing crops. Lassan gaon is on the bank of Narmada, on the east is Karam river, which merges with Narmada, Boo river meets Karam river in the west and in the east of Karam , Kharadi river merges. When the height was raised to 138.68 metres, part of the land between Boo an dKaram rivers got submerged, the road to about 30 hectare has vanished,, it has become marooned, similarly area between karam and Kharadi rivers has become marooned. Kamla bai, widow, Lassan gaon .556 hectare, totally submerged, lost banana crop, Rajkunwar bai, Lassan gaon .183 hectare, water logged, Dhapubai, Lassan gaon, .184 hectare, water logged, Bhuribai, widow, 1,723 hectare, lost banana and maize crop, Hirdaram, 1,250 hectare, lost crop, Radhabai, .625 hectare, lost crop. In Balwada village .375 hectare land belonging to Manohar got submerged for some days, Ramesh .375 hectare- was submerged for a few days, Binabai .375 hectare got submerged for some days, these are few examples. All kinds of farmers –big, small, marginal have been badly affected. The daily wage laborers who were totally dependent on working on farmlands have no means of livelihood le.

Livestock and Grazing Lands Chikhalda had 55 families from the Dhangar community. They raised cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats. The village had 200 acres of grazing land, which had got submerged in 2017. The village had approximately 1080 number of livestock which has been reduced to 586 . The loss of grazing lands, which have been submerged, rising costs of maintaining livestock and the reduced physical spaces to keep livestock is forcing many of them to sell the livestock. Accessing veterinary doctors has become difficult as the regular equilibrium of the villages have been totally disrupted and as stated earlier the residents have been sent to five different sites. It has not only destroyed cultural, social fabric but also made it difficult to maintain livestock. Earlier it was possible to sell the milk within the village community but the villagers having been dispersed in various direcons, it's a challenge to rear livestock and to find enough buyers for milk. State had promised to supply fodder for livestock but villages aer villages and those living on R & R sites complained that promises have not been kept. Many people said they had to sell livestock at throw away prices as the condions to retain them weren't there. According to the state R & R policy, NVDA was supposed to set up gaushalas at R & R sites and provide grazing lands but wherever I visited none was provided for. There were no facilies –halao-for drinking water for the livestock. The mortality rate has increased and in the absence of medical facilies the spread of diseases among livestock has increased. Condions at R & R Sites and Tin Sheds I visited two R & R sites both were in pathec condion. In Dharampuri the R & R site itself has been submerged parally. The fact that no study was done for the other rivers and nallahs , many of them over flowed during floods and parally submerged R & R sites. In Hashnawar, Shahpura where people from Sulgaon, Khatadgaon, Khujawa, Dharampuri, Kothda, Ekalbara, Gopalpura, Sembalda and other villages have been rehabilitated conveyed that while the overhead water tanks have been made, the piplelines are not there for drinking water, the roads were there but drainage system is not there, they complained that the contractor used earth from empty plots and used it for building roads as a result the levels are such that during rains they get filled up with water, the jurisdicon of the R & R site is hanging as the authories have not decided so far under which nagarpalika it will come, so any regular development work which should be done is not happening, panchayat bhawan's building is there but it remains locked, the school is only ll 5th standard and for 6th onwards children have to travel 2-3 kms, there is no aanganwadi, no dispensary. This R & R site has been in existence for than 15 years and yet basic amenies are not there. Here also people complained about no halao for livestock's water, no grazing land, almost everyone has sold livestock, a woman who had 15 goats has 3 goats now, raon shop is 5 kms away. We were also told that 15-20 houses that have been built have developed cracks. State of R & R Eklabara village , tehsil Manavar, district Dhar has total 542 affected families. Three families have received 60 lakh rupees, two eligible families are yet to receive 60 lakh each , their applicaons are being delayed in GRA. During past year 25 families got the plot. 542 families have got plots but there are 25 families who have got 1/3 or ½ th esixze of the plot that they were eligible for. 22 families have got the first installment of 5.80 lakhs but secondinstallment has not been received. 10 families who should be eligible but their names have been le out from the list for geng 5.80 lakhs. 10 families have not got the land for their shops. There are total 276 families who have to sll get one or another compensaon amount/land. All 542 families have not got the property registraon in their names. Out of these 450 families has got land which is uneven and has to be leveled. At the R & R sites the following facilies are not available: a. Narmada pipeline which is just one feet depth, even aer commissioning, water is not reaching for rehabilitaon. b. Drainage not available. c. Electric poles are connected with wires. d. Hand pumps work only during monsoon, otherwise there is no water in them. e. Almost all the plots were in ditches , people had to spend huge amount of money to get them filled. f. Temples, Mosques, Shops, Industries, Services are almost unavailable. g. There is no grazing land and drinking water for the animals h. Not every house has a tap connecon i. Registraon of plots is yet to be done. The original village had 500 trees, the rehabilitaon site has 50 trees. For villagers, farmers relaonship to their trees is very deep. Only someone who cares for environment, for life, for human beings can understand what uproong means. Some of the senments: 'Aer being ousted from our own homes, we have to prove that we have been denied our rights, our paence is running out” 'Our village has become worse than a graveyard.' 'They created an atmosphere that you will have to vacate the village' ' there are thousands of families sll sing in this valley without rehabilitaon.' I went to two Tin Sheds temporary rehab sites. People ousted from tens of villages, not rehabilitated, when the water was filled in the reservoir to its full capacity and water started entering the villages. The administraon rushed to force people out from various villages and they have been since September 2019 dumped in n sheds in various locaons. Leaving homes with all comforts and their belongings physical and emoonal they have been given 10x10 n sheds to live in with no separate kitchens. There were mulple rows of blue n sheds. Every shed had one family. The bathrooms and toilets were quite dirty. Water tanks were there but some not in working order. Couldn't see garbage bins. Mosquitoes abandon, children's schooling has stopped, no doctors, no aaganwadis, no running water, no place to keep livestock. I was told that inially food was supplied but it had stopped causing a lot of hardships especially to families dependent on daily wages. According to Supreme Court ruling ll they are rehabilitated administraon has to provide food and basic amenies but that is not happening. 17 such camps have been set up in Dhar, and districts. Supreme Court order has said clearly that the rehabilitaon has to be completed 6 months before the reservoir could be filled to its full capacity but perhaps PM's wish to be see the reservoir to its full capacity on his birthday was much higher than the lives of poor people. I am recording below various comments of people whom I met in Tin sheds colonies and some from the villages that I visited, it was not possible to record all the names and villages from where they came from: “There are thousands of people sing in this valley without rehabilitaon.' 'This was decided that water should not be filled above 122 meters feet ll full rehabilitaon is done. No village has been fully rehabilitated. A delegaon of three ministers had come. A report came in 2006. An affidavit was submied in Supreme Court that water level won't exceed 122 meters feet ll rehabilitaon is done. Why did they do it?' ' They had excluded most of our houses from submergence . Many houses collapsed in our village this year'. ' We used to walk 2 kms earlier now we have to walk 13-14 kms to reach our farmlands' ' Our crops have been destroyed. We have lost livestock' ' We have lost our papers , how do we prove we belong to the village?' ' People not affected have got 5.8 laks but those who have lost everything are sll waing.' ' Brokers and middlemen demand kickbacks of 50,000 or 80,000 and even one lakh. Advocates too make people pay in lakhs. When can it stop? ' Our village exists from 1235, the original residents have not been rehabilitated, those who came two years ago have got 5.8lakh rupees.' 'I am a daily wager. We have been reduced to beggars here. There is no work nearby'

Gopalpura, Manawar Tehsil ' We are farmers. Farmland has been submerged. Even from the land which is not submerged, we were unable to get the crop. Narmada pipelines are not working. Grazing lands are destroyed. There is no fodder. We sold our livestock at throw away prices.' ' We need land in lieu of land. We don't want 5.8 lakh rupees.' Baloda, “ 25% land was affected. 5 acre land was given, it was vacant but without ownership rights. ' ' land given to us in Gujarat was was 50 feet x 6 feet, the land is totally rocky ground. We rejected it. We want alternave land’ Baloda Bujurg- 'The case in GRA is going on since 2013. 53 people have got land. 14-15 families are sll pending ' 'In 2006-2007 order had come to give 2 hectares land each to 4 people. Till now we haven't got any. Our total land is acquired for rehabilitang others. Isn't this injusce? 'All my land has been submerged. Lost coon crop. Not received 60 lakhs, not received 5.8 lakhs' Gangli ' 2-3 months ago, officer had come. He said 5.8 lakh will be given. Panchnama was made. Not received any money even today. ' Lost maize crop . It was 60,-70,000 rupees worth. ' ' Order was given for 60 lakhs. Have not got it . 15 days ago I got a plot instead of 60x90 it is 20x 75. I told them I have JRA order, I was told we can give only if plot is available’ In another Tin Shed colony I met families from Bajri road, karmal, Chikhalda, Bodhwada, Malwada, Khaparkheda. Families belonged to dalit and Adivasi communies. They lived closed to Narmada and didn't have pucca houses. Some were alloed plots but many hadn't. There were laborers from Nivad. They were not able to find work for a long me. They used to work on farmlands within the villages for people who knew them. The village, farmlands have been submerged. Tin Shed colony is far from any place where they can get work. The children were not going to school. No effort was made from the administraon to start temporary classes ll people were rehabilitated. Met some students who were in 9th -11th standards. They were travelling several kilometers to somehow reach their schools. In another shed colony15 famlies from Shahgaon said the road to the village is closed. Pappu bhai from a village said ' On 10 September our village was vacated. 270 families sll have to get plots. Many farmers who lost their land have not got 60 lakhs for purchasing 2 hectares of land. Some families are eligible for total land lost even beyond 2 hectares but the M.P government is not following the law or judgements. Farmlands have become marooned. Now one has to travel 15 kms to reach the farmlands. 38 shop keepers have not got land for their shops. ' There was no regular water supply in the n shed colony I was told. The stories were too overwhelming and distressing. For someone who had never worked on this issue it was not easy to comprehend the gravity of the situaon but the distress was clear and depressing. The apathy , ineffecveness and delay is having a big toll on people's mental stress levels too. I also visited fisherfolk communies. The condions there are worse than the rest. They are sll fighng for their right to fishing in the Sardar Sarovar Reservoir which was promised to them, but while I was there, a government adversement appeared for tender for selling fish from the Sardar Sarovar Reservoir. With big companies moving in the livelihood of the fishing community is under huge risk and it will push them further into penury. Corrupon I met hundreds of people –men, women, children in various villages, R & R sites and Tin Sheds. People at every place, I visited, complaint of rampant corrupon. They said there are brokers (dalals) who are connected to officers and they charge between 5000-80,000 for various tasks, geng the plot, geng the compensaon package of 5.8 lakhs for building the house, geng 60 lakh against farmlands and so on. There were complaints of people geng plots and lands who have not been displaced, there were people who said they had to give money to get a plot or to get the compensaon. Innumerable complaints of officers sing inside various authories being involved in this corrupon were narrated. It is unfortunate and surprising that Jha Commission enquiry has not taken place even aer the new government has taken over!

Recommendaons: I. Related to Reselement and Rehabilitaon

l Administraon should set up 3 day camp to look into all cases of eligibility and clear urgently the list of all those who are eligible to get plots, agreed upon various packages.

l All those who are eligible to get a plot of land measuring 18.29 x 27.43m. (60' x 90') free of cost should within a month be given plots.

l Every displaced family from whom more than 25% of its land holding has been acquired should be paid 60 lakhs in lieu of of 2 hectares (5 acres) of irrigable land per family as per Supreme Court order of 2017 within a month.

l Affected families that lived together as a social unit, the same should be maintained in the new place of relocaon.

l Compensaon for Crop lost to be provided immediately to farmers.

l Build access roads/villages to farmlands which have been marooned, at the earliest.

l At R & R sites the following should be provided: School up to middle level , Panchayat Ghar , dispensary , drinking water with pipe lines, drainage, street lights, grazing land, open space for a park for children.

l People living in Tin Shed colonies should be rehabilitated at the earliest.. Till rehabilitaon is done administraon should provide : food for all those who have not been able to get work, start anaganwadi, arrange teachers to run classes for children, provide 24x7 water supply, electricity, dispensary with atleast one nurse and a doctor vising for a few hours every day.

l To idenfy officers and brokers involved in corrupt pracces, remove them and start legal cases against them. The list of brokers available in Jha Commission should be taken help from.

l Land for commercial shops and business centres should be made available at the relocaon sites and land given to shop keepers whose shops have been submerged & plots are not yet provided.

l The rights to fishing in the sardar sarovar Reservoir to be provided to the fishing community.

l Places of religious and archaeological importance would be reconstructed outside the submergence area.

l Compensaon should be given to all those who have lost livestock and permanent arrangement for fodder should be made by providing grazing land at every Rehabilitaon site.

l Plant trees at all R & R sites.

l Trauma Counseling centres should be opened in all rehabilitaon sites, in Tin Sheds colonies to help oustees deal with the tragedy. II. Related to further decisions based on Supreme Court Order : The Next Step For seeking a decision to keep the water level in Sardar Sarovar at 122 mts , same as was maintained ll 2017, its necessary that the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh takes a lead and gets the Supreme Court Orders executed, i.e. the review commiee meeng called expediously. This is also necessary since the total fund required for all the above balance work to be completed, from the government of Gujarat. It is per law that the water level needs to be maintained at 122 mts ll Reselement and Rehabilitaon is complete in leer and spirit.